A LOOK AT THE DAWN OF AIDS IN AMERICA, “WE WERE HERE” RELEASES MAY 15 ON DIGITAL AND DVD

“One of the Top 10 Films of the Year… Of all the cinematic explorations of the AIDS crisis, not one is more heartbreaking and inspiring than We Were Here.” — Stephen Holden, New York Times Critics’ Pick

“Uplifting…clear-eyed, soulful”— Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

April 10, 2012 – New York, New York – During the early 1980s, a mysterious disease began to appear among gay men in San Francisco. What soon manifested would change the gay community and the world forever.

WE WERE HERErevisits the beginning of the AIDS crisis in America through the eyes of five individuals who lived in San Francisco prior to the epidemic. From their different vantage points as caregivers, activists, researchers, friends and lovers of the afflicted, and people with AIDS themselves, the interviewees share stories which are not only intensely personal, but illuminate the much larger themes of that era: the political and sexual complexities, the terrible emotional toll, and the role of women—particularly lesbians—in caring and fighting for their gay brothers.

Award-winning director David Weissman (The Cockettes, co-directed with Bill Weber) weave together archival footage that illustrates a compassionate and courageous community coming together in response to suffering and loss due to the disease. Through eye-witness accounts from the very beginning of the epidemic, WE WERE HERE opens a window of understanding to those who have only the vaguest notions of what transpired in those years. As a filmmaker and political activist who arrived in San Francisco in 1976 and was deeply impacted by the epidemic, Weissman brings a unique personal understanding to this history.

WE WERE HERE releases on standard digital platforms and DVD on May 15, following its 2011 premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and a critically-acclaimed national theatrical release. Along with being on many “Top 10 Films of 2011” lists, including John Waters’ Artforum list, the film was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards and was shortlisted for the 2012 Academy Award® for Best Documentary. A New York Times Critics’ pick, the film premieres on PBS’s Independent Lens on May 27.

WE WERE HERE is directed and produced by David Weissman; edited by Bill Weber; director of photography, Marsha Kahm; music by Holcombe Waller. The DVD includes an interview with director David Weissman, AIDS prevention PSAs Weissman produced in the 1990s and the theatrical trailer.

About Docurama Films
In 1999, NEW VIDEO launched Docurama Films® with the first feature documentary ever available on DVD: D.A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back. Twelve years and 300 award-winning, highly-acclaimed titles later, Docurama continues to discover and release the greatest non-fiction films of our time while spreading the word about filmmakers who are taking the form to new heights. Docurama’s catalog features the performing and visual arts, history, politics, the environment, ethnic and gender interests, and all-time favorites including The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, Andy Goldsworthy:Rivers and Tides and King Corn. Recent titles include the 2011 Oscar®-nominated film, Gasland, and the platform release of Hell and Back Again.www.docuramafilms.com

About New Video
New Video is a leading entertainment distributor and the largest aggregator of independent digital content worldwide. Headquartered in New York City, with an international presence in 45 territories, the company delivers feature films, TV programs and web originals via digital download, streaming, video-on-demand, Blu-ray, DVD, and theatrical release. In 2011, New Video bowed Oscar®-nominated Hell and Back Again and South American blockbuster Elite Squad: The Enemy Within in US theaters. Through a new partnership with digital exhibitor Cinedigm Entertainment Group, New Video is poised to bring more independent films to theaters nationwide. New Video streamlines distribution and marketing for filmmakers and partners, bringing a wide variety of fresh content to new audiences. The company’s library includes original TV series and movies from A+E® Home Entertainment, HISTORY™, and Lifetime®, unforgettable games and trophy sets from Major League Baseball®, storybook treasures from Scholastic®, award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films®, next-gen indies from Flatiron Film Company®, and acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Film. New Video is proud to distribute many Oscar®-nominated documentaries including Gasland, Waste Land, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory and Hell and Back Again.www.newvideo.com.